Staple Items

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

What are some modeling tools that an effective Model Railroader should always have availible?

2

The tools I have in hand the most are miniature screw drives. Second would be an exacto knife. Then wire stripper and Soldering iron. A magnifying light would be up there as well

3

Depends on what I’m doing. The most important tool is the one correct-for-the-task which, hopefully, I’m using.

Mark

4

For starters: a set of small precision screwdrivers, NMRA guage, coupler height guage, truck tuner, coupler pliers, digital scale, voltmeter, soldering iron, xacto knife, razor saw, dremel tool pin vise and assorted drills.

5

Xuron rail nippers and a small flat file for getting good ends on cut rail.

Needle nose pliers and tweezers for holding small stuff.

Wire clippers for cutting things other than rail. Wire stripper for, well, stripping wires.

Toothpicks for applying small amounts of glue.

Paper clips to unbend into a U and use to hold track down to foam while the glue sets.

Woodworking tools for benchwork, particularly a framing clamp for making corner joints.

6

Band-aids[sigh]. Gary

7

When I take the modules out on the road I take along a small tool kit with several small needle nose pliers of differing bends, a screwdriver assortment, Exacto knife with extra blades, and a rail nipper. For added insurance I take along a bottle of ACC. These basic tools will keep the trains going for the shows.

My home workshop has accumulated tools over a forty year time span and is way too numerous to list here. I probably have fifteen different Exacto knives. They each have a different blade for different jobs plus custom shaped blades. I have more files than a hardware store stocks. To think, I started with a couple screwdrivers and a very early Exacto knife decades ago. And I still buy tools.

Pete

PS Almost forgot the most important tool of all. A good comfortable pair of SAFETY GLASSES.

8

Staples?

9

Very well stated. A hobbyist or handyman is ALWAYS buying or replacing tools. AKA “Tool-man Taylor” ha ha

10

[:-^]

Money is a tool. it works for me, only I don’t have enough.

Johnboy out…

11

I’m rather surprised that no one mentioned soldering tools…

For me, tin snips are essential - but not everybody uses steel studs for almost everything.

How about a serious power drill? Mine gets used for everything from basic benchwork assembly to drilling holes in the right-of-way for rail power drops.

Lots more, but I have a couple of toolboxes full of special-purpose widgets.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

12

Eyedroppers.

Syringes.

Pipettes.

13

I had mentioned soldering iron. [:-^]

I actually have 3 that I use. A standard 15/30 watt electric, A propane one, and a Solder gun for buss wiring.

14

good hobby glues, exacto knife (the generic ones at Harbor freight, Farm and Fleet, and Target work just as well in my opinion) And of course the Dremel Tool. I personally prefer the corded ones.

15

The three most important tools every model railroader needs are a Hot Glue Gun, An American Express Platinum card and the Micromark catalog

16

Plastic Cement or CA adhesive; an Xacto knife; an NMRA gauge (used to check the correctness of your track); and Paints. This is just the bare minimum.

17

A cap with leds in the brim.

This is really helpfull working under the layout.

You can put light right were you need it, hands free.

Happy Railroading

Bob

18

Old business cards. Use them for masking, window shades, shims, a place to hold a dollop of glue or paint, the list goes on.

Round toothpicks. You’d be amazed at the number of uses for these. I even have a few Yellow Box locomotives with the couplers held in place by a toothpick jammed through the coupler box into the shell.

I good strong work light.

Reading glasses (well, for me at least…)

Masking tape. Use it for paint masking, holding small pieces, roll roofing. Just good stuff to have around.

Those diecast vehicles from Life Like and Malibu and others? The lids for the cases those come in make excellent small part holders.

19

Here’s some from my list:

  • Magnification visor - I consistently use this more often than any other tool I have

  • Good task light - 2nd most important tool, next to visor

  • Computer w/Internet access - For doing searches and researching prototype information

  • Tweezers: Needle-nose

  • Tweezers: Flat-nose

  • Tweezers: Locking-type

  • X-acto knife handle

  • X-acto blades: #11 (pointed) & #17 (chisel)

  • Razor saw

  • Drill

  • Drill bits: 1/16 → 3/8"

  • Drill bits: #61 → #80

  • Pin vise: Small and medium

  • Soldering iron

  • Solder: 0.032 & 0.015 OD

  • Good-quality paint brushes: Super-fine (0000) → Medium (5) - Michael’s is a great place for these

  • Adhesive: Cyanoacrylate (CA) - Get one thick-type and one thin-type

  • Adhesive: Thin- or watery-type (for plastics)

  • Adhesive: DAP Latex Acrylic caulk - I use it for foam → foam, foam → cork, cork → cork, cork → wood, wood → wood, wood → foam, etc. - Inexpensive, holds very well, cures in 24 hrs or less, remains flexible, can be pried apart for modifications with a broad putty knife without damaging parts

  • Adhesive: Wood glue

  • Adhesive: Silicone-type (e.g. RTV 732) - Great for installing weights in

  • 3rd hand - Great for holding parts and wires for soldering

  • Small screwdriver set - Get good quality with strong tips

  • Flush-cutting cutters/nippers - Handy for removing kit parts from sprues

  • Flat-nose pliers - Handy for straightening metal wire and flattening tinned wire

  • Rail cutters: Xuron - Do NOT use them for anything but cutting rail.

  • Foam “saddle” - For supporting and w

20

BEER! And lots of it to hold down that freshly caulked track and roadbed. Beer also works well for attracting people who are good at under bench soldering.[:D]

Brent